


Exotic Meats

by JJClark



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Awkward Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Valentine's Day Gift Exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29158800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJClark/pseuds/JJClark
Summary: Gendry takes Arya's package by accident, which leads to a date night.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Comments: 30
Kudos: 102





	Exotic Meats

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Weltverbessererin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weltverbessererin/gifts).



> For my beloved, Laura, the sun-goddess of my life. Happy Valentine's Day. I couldn't imagine celebrating today with anyone else as special as you <3 
> 
> Credit goes to Badge for the idea in the first place. Gotta love those plot bunnies that get carried away. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to write this lol.

"Why would either of my sisters send you a Valentine?" 

Gendry hadn't meant to sound callous, instantly regretting the words as they left his mouth. Hot Pie was one of the few people he called a friend and one of the main reasons he agreed to a roommate. It shouldn't surprise him if his sisters took it upon themselves to ensure he had an equally pleasant holiday. Bella still raved about the dinner Hot Pie prepared for them when she visited. Of course, they'd try to make him feel better on a day like today. 

It's what sisters did. 

Mistakenly, he took the guilt written across his roommate's features and believed it to be hurt. While Hot Pie stammered through a response, Gendry sighed and apologized. Leave it to the other guy to try and laugh off the offense and smooth things over, so there wasn't any awkward tension between them. "I'm sorry, man, that's not what I meant. You've been good to Mya and Bella; no wonder they wanted to repay the generosity." 

The other man choked, then forced a chuckle. "Right, generosity." 

Before the conversation could go further, someone knocking at their door silenced them. They shared a look, curious as to who expected a visitor on today of all days. Hot Pie glanced down at his phone, then confusingly put it back in his pocket. Another round of knocking, followed by a dog barking, had both men answering the door. 

"Hi," the cute brunette from across the hall greeted. Even in a pair of joggers and a glistening brow, she still held the power to take Gendry's breath away. Her beast of a dog responded with a bark of her own, letting the strangers know of her presence. He stole a glance down, smiled, and held out a hand for the dog to sniff. "I'm Arya, from," the brunette pointed her thumb behind.

Hot Pie opened the apartment door further to return the greeting in his overly friendly way. Gendry envied the way his roommate dove right into conversations with people. Especially now. Why couldn't he appropriately communicate with people beyond grunts or hums? Animals were easier. While he petted the dog, Gendry paid close attention to the conversation above, searching for an opening that didn't make him look or sound stupid. 

"Think the front desk dropped off the box here," Arya shrugged. 

"6 and 9, real easy to mistake those numbers," Gendry piped in, then felt the heat of embarrassment rise from his neck to his face. He should have kept his mouth shut. So stupid. However, he couldn't be too upset. The comment earned him a pair of grey eyes and a smirk from their neighbor. He tried for a smile before ducking his head down. 

"Oh, you ordered from Man Crates?" Hot Pie intervened. "Special someone visitin' tonight?" 

Bless, Hot Pie. Asking all the right questions. Though, he had to admit he held his breath waiting for the answer. Did she have a special someone for Valentine's Day? There were always people coming and going from across the hall. Yet, none of them gave off the vibe they were overly attached to her in that way. 

The cute brunette kneeled to scratch her dog's ears, then her chin. Their fingers brushed against one another momentarily, and neither moved away. "Only this spoiled brat," his neighbor said directly to him. 

Gendry physically exhaled, causing Arya to raise a brow briefly before standing once more. "My brother Jon has a long-distance relationship going on, and they send each other packages throughout the year. Got him addicted to this company, which Nymeria inherited over Christmas break. Didn't you, girl? So naughty."

Bless Nymeria for this opportunity. He paid the dog in extra rubs for her addiction to smoked meats. Gendry made a vow to gift the canine with a custom basket of her favorites should this meeting pan out well. Nymeria sniffed his hand again, barking after a lick to his palm. Arya shushed her playfully. 

"We were just arguin' over who got us this," Hot Pie disappeared to put everything back in the box.

"Sisters," Gendry stood. "My sisters. They uh they like to send stuff like that." He wanted her to know he was equally not with anyone for Valentine's Day. 

"That's thoughtful of them," Arya said with a sweeter smile. "I hope I didn't spoil any plans for this," she gestured to Hot Pie as he handed over the rectangular box. Nymera's tail began to wag as she sniffed and pawed at the end of the box. 

"Well, actually-" Hot Pie was cut off by an elbow to his gut. 

"No, no plans at all. You?" Gendry side-eyed the other guy. His roommate's brows shot up, followed by the tiny 'o' shape he made with his mouth. 

"Did you hear my phone? I heard my phone. Think someone's calling me. It was nice to meet you, Arya," Hot Pie waved and stepped further into the apartment. 

When Gendry turned back towards the door, he noticed she bit the inside of her cheek as she lifted the lid of the box. A plastic-wrapped salami roll was held out like one would offer a single flower. "Here," she offered to him. "Happy Valentine's Day, uhh..."

Both held onto either side of the salami roll, maintaining eye contact. It took him half a second longer to realize he never introduced himself. He coughed into his other fist, clearing whatever the hell it was that got stuck in his throat. "Gendry." 

Arya gazed down at the item between their hands and released it. "Happy Valentine's Day, Gendry," she repeated. 

"For me?" He tried to play off the nervousness in his voice. "Gee, wonder what it could be..."

"Special meat!" The color in Arya's face immediately drained. She looked about how he felt. 

Sympathetic, he went along with it. "Suprise! What I always wanted!" _Wait._ His faux-excitement turned horror when his brain registered what he'd just said. "That's not-I mean-"

Her brows contorted in question, though smoothed a moment later with amusement. She seemed to battle her thoughts, drawing attention to her mouth again when she bit down on the corner of her bottom lip. "Nym and I usually do homemade pizza and movie marathons. Would you like to join us tonight? Only if you wa-"

"Love to," he jumped at the offer. They chuckled simultaneously. Gendry rubbed the back of his head, and she fiddled with the box in her hand. 

"Great, um, six sound good?" 

"Perfect," Gendry nodded and dropped his hand. 

He watched his neighbor steal a glance over her shoulder before she entered her apartment. As soon as he closed his door, he fist-pumped the air. However, it was Hot Pie's enthusiastic _"YES!"_ that surprised both men. "What?" His roommate shrugged. "I seriously thought you were about to blow it." A slow smile crept on his face as he wiggled his eyebrows. "Well, at least not yet." 

Gendry dipped to grab one of their shoes near the entrance and threw it in the other man's general direction. Hot Pie ducked, wagging his finger as the shoe collided with the fridge. "No, no, it's about damn time. Don't let me see you back in this apartment before midnight, at the very least." 

"That's almost six hours!" 

"Then you best hope your technique is," Hot Pie pinched his fingers together and mimicked a chef's kiss. 

"It's dinner and movies, for fuck sake!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. 

"Netflix and Chill, mate," his roommate raised a brow and threw the show back over the kitchen counter. "I call dibs on the shower first."

"You have a date?" That sounded rude. He really needed to stop doubting his best friend's abilities outside the kitchen. "Who is the lucky girl? Why haven't we met yet?" 

"What are you, my mother?" Hot Pie almost sounded defensive, which put Gendry on the defense. His friend sighed, "it's a standing invitation, and we're undecided about the status of our relationship."

"Maybe you should take your own advice and make sure she's not able to stand after tonight." Gendry thought himself clever, though the disturbed ashen face of his best friend made him reconsider what he said. 

"I'm going to remember you said that later," he countered with a short laugh. "And you can't be mad at me for it," Hot Pie winked and closed the bathroom door behind him. 

\---

Gendry ran a hand through his hair, a nervous tic he had not yet unlearned. The knock sent Nymeria into a tizzy on the other side of the door. A quick breath-check was squeezed in there right before Arya swung the door open, visibly out of breath as she fought her dog back. She wore a standard apron over her outfit, spotted with recent splotches of pizza sauce and flour. Some of the flour, however, had made it to her cheek and chin. Without thinking about it, his thumb glided against the smudges.   
  


Stunned by the gesture, Arya's lips parted. He glanced down at them, then blinked back the distraction. A single rose was offered to her in the same way she'd handed the salami. She reluctantly broke out of her trance to thank him and take the rose. "Sorry, come in, come in. Dinner is in the oven."   
  


He caught her wiping her face, checking her fingers for anything else she'd missed while cooking. Nymeria did not let him get too far into the apartment without proper attention. "I didn't forget about you, pretty girl," he cooed and dropped to a knee. "You don't mind, do you?" Arya peered over his shoulder to see a bag of dog treats that rattled in his free hand. She nodded, crossing her arms to watch.   
  


Nymeria's tail wagged and thumbed hard against the wooded floor below. She whined, licked, and placed a paw on Gendry's arm every few seconds until he could get the package open. "You're not spoiled at all, are you? No, not at all. Pretty girls aren't spoiled; they're just well taken care of by others." He fed Nymeria a couple of treats, then followed Arya into the kitchenette area.   
  


"You're good with animals," she commented and placed the lone rose into a tall glass of water.   
  


"They're less complicated than people," Gendry leaned against the counter and watched as she went about the kitchen. "Less complex. If you're good to them, they're good to you."  
  


"People are like that, too," Arya pulled the fridge open and listed the various drinks she had available.   
  


"Coke's fine," he pulled up a stool and snuck another dog treat out as soon as Nymeria walked over to him. "Yeah, but not all of them. That's where it gets complicated." She twisted the top for him and handed the bottle over.   
  


He felt her grey gaze on him, studying his face as he took a drink. Whatever it was she deciphered from his expression, she didn't divulge. Instead, the brunette hummed with a nod, allowing the subject to drop for now. Gendry got the feeling they were in for some deep conversations once they knew each other more. She filled several bowls on a wide woven tray, enough food to feed an army.   
  


"Are we-will there be...more people here?" He thought maybe it would be just the two of them, but he wasn't so sure now.   
  


"Just us three," she twisted the top of the chip bag and clipped it. Arya followed his gaze to all the food. "Never know what I'll be in the mood for or what you'd like."  
  


"Oh, oh, no, no, that's good. Good idea. Less time to get up from-that's a good idea." He took another long pull from his drink. Once she turned away from him, he exhaled with relief. Just the three of them tonight. Dinner and a movie marathon. Hot Pie's previous words popped up every once in a while, reminding him how long it's been since he broke it off with his ex.   
  


"We tend to watch horror movies on Valentine's, but if you have a preference, let me know," Arya interrupted the chaos happening inside Gendry's mind. She looked down at the tray again, then winced. "You aren't allergic to anything, are you? I guess I should have asked."   
  


"No, uh, well, no, not really. Nothing that's here." When she glanced up at him, he took that as a cue to continue. They did need to get to know things about the other. "Pineapples, which is weird. I remember eating them as a kid and-and why are you giving me that look?"   
  


"I put pineapple on the pizzas."   
  


"Oh." He gestured to the snack food. "No problem, then, plenty of food here."   
  


Arya cracked a smile, and he stopped stumbling over his words. She was playing with him. He deadpanned, his lips quirking at the sound of her laughter. She had a pretty laugh. And then she snorted, covering her face when the noise slipped out.   
  


"That's what you get for putting imaginary pineapple on pizza," he laughed and threw a pretzel at her. The pretzel landed in her hair, snagging a strand as she pulled it out and threw it back at him. A food fight was in the making when Nymeria jumped with a bark, wanting to be included in their game.   
  


"Wait, wait, I don't want an M&M getting loose on the floor," Arya sighed as her laugh trailed off. Gendry agreed with a nod and then picked up a slice of the package's smoked meats. He gave it a sniff to see which one, put it back, and found a plain one without the spices. Gendry figured since Arya bought it for Nymeria, mostly, that she customized the order. Kept it safe in case her dog got a hold of one of them.   
  


"Pretty girl," he cooed as he scratched Nym's chin.   
  


Arya turned to see who he was talking to, smiled, then checked the pizzas. "You ever talk to women the way you do her?"   
  


"Would you like to find out?" The question slipped out, making him pause in his scratches. Arya didn't seem to mind, color rising to her cheeks. "I've got two older sisters. After seeing how some of the guys they dated treated them, it made me more aware of ...things."   
  


"Sisters have a way of doing that," she said right as she turned to catch her elbow on the hot stove. Arya hissed, snatching her arm back from the heat. Gendry moved around to check on her injury, assessing the slight red mark on her flesh. He leaned forward, pressing his lips lightly against the burn, looking up at her to see if that was okay. Once again, her lips parted, and she swallowed her response.

"Why don't you set up where we'll be sitting? I can slice up the pizzas and bring them out." She seemed surprised by the offer and carried the tray of snacks away. Gendry smiled to himself. He may not be a total suave, but he knew it was the small things that counted the most. Pizzas sliced for easy access later, Gendry loaded up two plates and headed towards the living room. 

"What do we have queued?" Arya took the plates from her position on the couch, then handed him his once he took a seat.   
  


"We usually watch horror, but Nymeria suggested you get a say."   
  


"Not one for romance on Valentine's?" Gendry leaned forward to grab a handful of the snacks sitting in front of them.   
  


"Meh, I don't not like romance. It's just been a while." Something in her tone said that it was a story for another time—no need to ruin their date with stories of their ex's.   
  


"Same," he agreed.   
  


They fell into a period of silence as they ate their dinner, scrolling through a couple of apps until something caught their eye. Arya made the cutest noise when she stopped scrolling to look down and realize she'd eaten all the jerky on her plate. Without thought, Gendry held up a piece so she could focus on searching. She didn't seem to mind too much when he scooted closer. Nor when he placed an arm on the back of the couch behind her head and fed her. Eventually, they spotted something that checked all their boxes.   
  


Gendry thought it was a good sign they shared similar preferences. What he did not expect was a running commentary throughout the film. While that wasn't the biggest icebreaker, he liked the idea that she'd rather talk to him than sit there quiet. He certainly wasn't going to complain when she'd look up at him or the way her head would rest on his arm after a long laugh.   
  


By the time they made it through the third movie, the couple had curled up under a throw blanket. Arya fit perfectly between his legs, and the smell of her hair was enough to keep him thoroughly distracted from what was happening on screen. Temptation caught him off guard several times as his fingers caressed her arms and middle. Arya startled, causing Gendry to chuckle.  
  


"I hate jump-scares." She shifted further into him, causing him to wrap his arms tighter around her. "This one always gets me no matter how many times I've seen it." Arya leaned back against his chest, looking up at him. "Midnight after this," she trailed off.   
  


"Hmm," he hummed and risked placing a chaste kiss on her shoulder. Gendry thought to ask if she wanted to end the night. She didn't sound like she wanted him to leave, though he wasn't going to assume. "Do you have any plans tomorrow?"   
  


Arya studied his face, the corner of her lips slowly lifting. The slow shake of her head had Gendry mimicking the curve of her lips. When she angled her head, he shifted her body slightly to the left to make things more comfortable. She made the first move, quite impatient with his hesitant descent. They chuckled into the kiss, catching teeth instead of lips, initially. Gendry cradled Arya into the crook of his arms, holding her in place with his large palm against her lower back.   
  


The movie ended without their awareness. Their kiss ended rather abruptly when the trailer for the next film began. Arya pressed her forehead, trying to contain her laughter enough to catch her breath. "Sequel?"   
  


Gendry brushed some of her hair out of her face, his thumb caressing the heat of her cheeks. He nodded, chuckling. "After an ending like that?" 


End file.
